Alternate action switch having alternating latching means



May 17, 1966 3,251,972

ALTERNATE ACTION SWITCH HAVING ALTERNATING LATCHING MEANS D. W. FLYGSTAD2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

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O n a 4/ 4 E NQ gm MS RN 3 H HM m INVENTOR. .Dzmw 11/5 HYGSTAD Arroawsrsy 7, 1966 D. w. FLYGSTAD 3,251,972

ALTERNATE ACTION SWITCH HAVING ALTERNATING LATGHING MEANS Filed Dec. 16,1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M 1/3 FI L3. 5'

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I N VEN TOR. D54 M Fzmsma Arne/vars United States' Patent Ofilice3,251,972 ALTERNATE ACTION SWITCH HAVING ALTERNATING LATCHING MEAN DeanW. Flygstad, Roseviile, Minn, assignor to The Telex Corporation, Tulsa,Okla., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 330,91412 Claims. (Cl. 200-469) mechanism whereby successive operations of thepush button serve to successive.y reverse the position, or state,

of the contacts adapted to be actuated by the push button.

The mechanism for preforming this function has, in the development ofthe electrical switch art, taken many forms, all of which have requiredthe use of a number of moving parts which have proven to be relativelycomplicated and uneconomical to manufacture and which inherently possessa large amount of actual, or potential, friction when operated toperform the desired operation.

As will be explained more fully below, my invention provides an improvedalternate action for use in combination with electrical switching meanswhich, upon relative motion between moving and stationary portions ofelectrical switching apparatus, the desired alternate action isaccomplished with a minimum of operative elements and whichsubstantially eliminates the factors noted above.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improvedalternate action switching apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel apparatus foralternating latching and unlatching the movable actuator in a pushbutton switch.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved and novelalternate action for a push button switch which is inexpensive and easyto manufacture.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improvedalternate action switching apparatus in which frictional forces arereduced to a minimum.

These and other more detailed and specific objects of my invention willbecome apparent from a consideration of the appended specification,claims and drawings, in Which FIG. 1 is an exploded plan view of a pushbutton i electrical switch, partly in section, which embodies theprinciples of my invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded side view, partly in section, of the embodiment ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a complete switch assembly;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a complete switch assembly mounted on a panel;

FIG. 5 is a complete plan view, partly in section, of an assembled pushbutton switch; and

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are broken away sectional views showing the relativepositions of the portions of a push button switch embodying theprinciples of my invention during one cycle of operation thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like elements may be identifiedby like reference numerals, there is shown a push button electricalswitch which is comprised generally of a housing member 10, a switchcontact assembly 30, a pair of stationary base members 50 and 90, amovable actuator 70, a removable lamp holder assembly 110 and a pushbutton cover member 130.

Patented May 17, 1966 Housing 10 is comprised of a top section 20, whichmay be generally rectangular cross section, to which is appended bottom.section 11 which is shown as having a generally square cross sectionalconfiguration. Dcpending upwardly from the top ends of the sides ofupper section 20 of housing 10 are a pair of barrier flanges 1-5 andpositioned slightly below barrier flanges 15 are a pair of apertures 18which extend completely through the sides of upper section 20 which,along the upper edge thereof are of slightly increased cross sec- .-tionas indicated by the reference numeral 16. The

raised portions of the sides of upper section 20 terminate in adownwardly facing groove 17 which is adapted to receive and hold aspring biased, detenting, panel engaging member 21 which are positionedon either side of upper section 20 and are adapted, when engaged withthe panel as shown in FIG. 4, to rigidly hold housing 10 in position ina suitable aperture therefor in a panel. A pair of grooves 14 are shownin the top and bottom portions of upper portion 20 and extendlongitudinally thereof for slidably receiving an actuator mechanism, 70,to be described below. A similar pair of grooves ware provided on theinside of the sides of a portion 20 and are adapted to receive a pair ofcontact members 100 and a removable lamp holder assembly 110. The lowerextremity of lower portion 11 includes an inwardly extending flangeportion 12 and is adapted to receive and provide a mounting for acontact assembly 30. Referring to the view of FIG. 1, a portion ofhousing 10 which is intermediate upper section 20 and lower section 11contains a plurality of apertures 13 through which suitable contactmembers for energizing illumination means to be described below may beinserted.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a top and side view ofswitch contact assembly which is adapted to be positioned within lowerportion 11 of housing 10 as may be seen from a consideration of thesectioned assembly drawing of FIG. 5. Switch contact assembly 30 iscomprised of a housing indicated generally by reference numeral 31 whichincludes a plurality of pairs of contact members 32 which are comprisedof generally longitudinally extending parallel conductors that areadapted to cooperate with a like plurality of actuators 33 which aresuitably journaled on a transverse shaft 38 extending through the sidesof housing 31. Actuators 33 are operable between positions of engagementand disengagement to effect contact between like corresponding pairs ofconductors as indicated by the reference numerals 33 and 33a on FIG. 2.Also stationarily positioned on switch contact assembly housing 31 is acam means indicated generally by the reference numeral 34 which includesa ramp portion 36 and first and second stop portions and 37 which willbe further described below in conjunction with the operation of myinvention. For a more complete discussion of the particular form ofswitch contacts utilized in the described embodiment of my invention,reference is made to the Daniels Patent No. 3,019,323 issued January 30,1962 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

A pair of base members and are adapted to be stationarily positioned inthe bottom of the upper portion 20 of housing 10. Base member 50includes a plurality of contact apertures '51 which are adapted toregister wit-h a like plurality of contact apertures 13 provided in thebottom of upper portion 20 of housing 10. The sides of' base member 50are provided with a square boss, or raised portion 52 which is adaptedto receive and hold a pair of contact members to be described below.Base member 50 also includes a more or less centrally located recess forreceiving a spring biasing member 55 and a plurality of recesses 56adapted- :to slidably receive a plurality of contact pins slidablymounted in registration therewith on base member 91 The top edge of basemember 50 is provided with a notch 57 which extends axially thereof andis adapted to receive an axially extending projection on an actuatormember 7t) and further contains a transversely extending notch 58 whichis adapted to receive a transversely extending portion on actuator 70.

Base member 90 is provided with a like corresponding transverse groove92 adapted to receive the transverse portion of actuator 70 and a likecorresponding axially extendin groove 93 that is also adapted toslidably receive an axially extending portion of actuator 70; Aplurality of contact members include legs 91 which extend axially frombase member 90 and are provided with apertures 97 for connection to asuitable source of electrical energy and, at the upper ends thereofextend laterally inwardly and are provided with an aperture adapted toregister with an opening extending through base member 9% and a contactpin 95'- and spring biasing means therefor, 96, are positioned on theaperture in contact members 91 for ei fecting electrical contact withthe base of, for example, a light bulb'to provide suitable illumination.It may be'seen that contact pin 95 is slidably journaled through theaperture in contact member 91 and is spring biased upwardly through theforce exerted thereon by spring member 96. Base members 59 and 90 may becomprised of any suitable dielectric material.

An actuator 70 is comprised of a transversely extending body portionhaving an axially extending protrusion 77 at its center for receivingand holding spring biasing means 55, a pair of laterally disposedaxially extending portions 71 and 72 and a laterally displaced axiallyextending portion 78. Portions 71 and 72 are provided with inwardlyextending boss members 75 and 76 respectively, for cooperation withcorresponding recesses in a push button for engaging and holding thesame in position on actuator 70, and a pair of longitudinally extendingrib portions 74 and 73 respectively extending inwardly of members 71 and72. Axially extending portion 78 includes a recess 81 for receiving andholding a longitudinally extending latching member 813. A laterallyextending pin member 79 is positioned on portion 78 to coact with andengage the notches shown in switch contact actuators 33 for impartingreciprocal movement thereto upon reciprocation of actuator 71). Theoutward end of latching member 80' is provided with a transverselyinwardly extending portion 82. Latching 7 'member 80 may be comprised ofmaterial exhibiting sufficient resilience characteristics to allowlateral displacement of its outward end upon engagement with cam 34 onswitch contact assembly 30', as will be explained in detail below, andas shown on FIGS. and

8 of the drawing.

Light assembly 110 is comprised of a generally rectangular base member118 which is adapted to be slidably received in the upper end of housing16 and has at the top and bottom edges thereof grooves 116 and 117adapted to allow reciprocating motion of portions 71 and 72 and inwardlydepending rib members 74 and 73 on actuator iii. A plurality ofapertures 112 are provided for receiving a like plurality of light bulbs111. A contact member 113 formed of suitable conductive materialcontains a plurality of apertures for light bulbs which are adapted tolie in registration with apertures 112 in base member 118 and contains apair of axially extending portions which extend from an edge surface ofbase member 118 and depend upwardly with respect to the normal positionof the light assembly 110 in the housing. Each of the upwardly dependingportions eontains a laterally extending latching portion 114, positionedintermediate the ends thereof, that is adapted to coact with contactmember 160 to releasably hold lamp Contacts 100 are provided with anaperture 102 for connection to an external source of electrical energy,a square aperture itll intermediate the ends thereof that is adapted tobe placed upon the square boss members 52 on the sides of base member551 to thereby securely retain contact members 190 in position in anassembled switch, and a further aperture 163 which is adapted to receiveand coact with the laterally extending portions 114 on contact member113. A lateral portion 104 depending from one edge of aperture 193 isadapted to lie in groove 19 in upper portion 20 of housing It? to tendto retain contact member 1% in operative position within the housing inan assembled switch assembly.

A push button member 139 is provided with suitable recesses 131 at itstop and bottom inside edges to coact with the raised portions 75 and 76on axially extending portions 71 and 72 on actuator 70 for removablysecuring push button 136 in operating relationship to actuator 70.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a sectional plan view illustrates the relativepositions of the various members described above in an assembledelectrical switch.

Housing 10 is shown with switch contact assembly 30 and base members 56and 9t stationarily mounted. therein by suitable fastening means, forexample, epoxy ad besive and the like. Actuator 70 is positioned withits transversely extending body 85 intermediate grooves 57 in bodymember 56 and 92 in body member 90 and spring biasing means extendsintermediate the projection 77 on body and recess 54 on body member 50to maintain actuator 70 in the position shown on the drawing. Thelongitudinally extending portions 71 and 72 are slidably journaled ingrooves 14 on the top and bottom of the upper portion 20 of housing 10.Shaft 79 on axially extending transversely disposed portion 78 onactuator 70 is in engagement with the notches in actuators 33 on switchcontact assembly 30 and push button 130 is removably attached to the topend of actuator 70; Light assembly 110 is removably mounted in the topportion 20. of housing 10 and the latching portions 114 on contactmember 113 are in electrical and mechanical latching relationship withapertures 103 on contact members 100. The lower portion of the bulbs 111on light assembly 110 are in electrical conductive contact withconductive pins which are in turn conductively journaled in theapertures in the laterally extending top portions of contact member 91.Contact members 91 and may be connected to a suitable source of electricenergy through circuit means (not shown). It may thus be seen that innormal operation of the switch assembly shown in FIG. 5, actuator 70 andpush button attached thereto are mounted for reciprocation withinhousing 10 and with respect to switch contact assembly 30, :base member50, base member 90 and light assembly 110. The direction of movement isindicated by the arrow shown on the upper portion of actuator 70 and thedistance through which actuator 70 may be moved longitudinally ofhousing 10 is indicated by the reference characters X and Y shown on thelower portion of housing 10. As noted above, spring biasing means 55serves to tend to bias actuator 70 in its uppermost position, that shownon FIG. 5, and transversely extending body portion 85 on actuatormembers 70 may move between limits of operation determined by itsabutment with the extremities of transversely extending grooves 58 and92 in stationarily mounted body members 50 and 90, respectively.Therefore, the application of a downwardly directed force to the top ofpush button member 130 will serve to move actuator 70 in a downwarddirection and pin member 79 on axially extending portion 78 on actuator70 will position contact actuators 33 in accordance with such movementand, in the embodiment shown, between the positions indicated by thereference characters 33 and 33a 011 FIG. 2. While the illustratedembodiment of my invention utilizes a particular form of electricalcontact assembly, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, uponbecoming familiar with the principles of my invention, that othersuitable mechanisms and arrangements for actuating, for example,miniature snap-acting switches, may easily be provided as long asreliable switching actuation is provided consistent with the limits ofmovement of actuators 7 0.

It might also be noted at this point that the longitudinally extendingresilient member .80 which is securely mounted in recess 81 on axiallyextendingportion 78 of actuator 70 is, in the illustrated embodiment,transversely displaceable through engagement with the ramp and stopmembers associated with camming means 34 stationarily mounted on thelower end of base 31 of electrical contact assembly 30. Latching member80 is provided at its outermost extremity with a laterally extendingportion 82 that extends into the plane in which the various elementscomprising camming means 34 are stationarily positioned and latchingmeans 80, being comprised of resilient material, is mounted and adapted.to maintain the position indicated on FIG. 5 of the drawing, namely inaxial alignment with actuator 70 whereby the relationship betweenlatching member 80 and camming means 34 is maintained for an unlatchedposition. The dotted line and the several positions of laterallyextending portion 82 on latching member 80 illustrate one complete cycleof operation of my invention. FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show the relationshipbetween the several parts at intermediate positions during such acomplete cycle.

Starting with the position shown in FIG. 5, a downward force imparted topush button 130 and actuator 70 results in a deflection of the end oflatching member 80 transversely toward the left along the ramp surface36 and continued deflection through the distance indicated by thereference character X, positions the laterally extending end 82 oflatching member 80 against the side of a first stop member 35 and, ofcourse, no further downward movement of actuator 70 is possible. This isthe position indicated in FIG. 6. Subsequent release of push button 130and upward movement of actuator 70 under the force exerted thereonthrough biasing spring member 55, results in positioning of the end 82of latching member 80 in second stop member 36 which is an invertedsubstantially V-shaped notch provided in the bottom of the raisedportion of camming means 34 and the end, 82, of latching member 80 issecurely held to retain the push button in a depressed position ofactuation of the contacts in contact assembly as indicated by thereference character Y. This is also shown in FIG. 7 and it will be notedthat the end, 82, of latching member 80 is transversely displaced fromits normal position but that the cooperation of the springbiasing means55 and stop means 37 serves to maintain actuator 70 in such a position.A second downward force imparted to push button 130 again moves the endof latching member 80 in a downward direction and because of theresiliency of latching member 80, a transverse movement to the right tothe position substantially that of FIG. -8 occurs and further downwardmovement of actuator 70 is prevented either by abutment of transversebody portion 85 with the bottom of transverse groove 58 in body member50 or engagement of the end 82 of latching member 80 with the lowerportion of contact assembly 30. Upon removal of the downwardly directedforce on actuator 70, it will move upwardly under the influence ofspring biasing means 55 and the lower edge of ramp surface 36 willdeflect the lower end 82 of latching member 80 transversely to the rightpast its normal position and the actuator 70 will proceed to theposition shown in FIG. 5. It may thus be seen that an alternate actionor push-push latching arrangement is effected by the cooperation oflatching member 80 and cam means 34 including ramp surface 36, firststop means 35 and second stop means 37 to provide a substantiallyfrictionless, trouble free, un-

complicated and economical apparatus.

A suitable material for latching member is music wire and cam means 34may be molded, for example,

, from a suitable plastic such as Delrin.

scribed my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect byLetters Patent is:

I claim:

1. An alternate action switch comprising in combination;

(a) an elongated hollow housing member;

(b) an actuator member having a driving e'nd including a push button anda driven end, said actuator being reciprocably journaled in said housingmember;

(c) a latching member mounted on and extending longitudinally of one ofsaid first named members, said latching member being resilientlytransversely displaceable at its free end and including laterallydisposed :means for engaging a camming means;

((1) camming means stationarily mounted on the other of said first namedmembers, said camming means being adapted to transversely displace thecam engaging means on initial relative movement between said first namedmembers in a first direction, maintain a transverse displacement uponsubsequent movement in a reverse direction, to latchably engage and holdsaid cam engaging means after a limited movement in said reversedirection and to release said cam engaging means upon subsequentmovement in said first direction whereby subsequent unrestrictedrelative movement between said first named members in said reversedirection is provided; and

(e) switch means stationarily mounted on said housing for engagementwith the driven end of said push button when said latching member islatchably engaged with said camming means.

2. An alternate action switch comprising in combination;

(a) a longitudinally extending housing means;

(b) actuator means reciprocably journaled in said housing for operationbetween first and second positions;

(c) a latching member having one end stationarily mounted on one of saidmeans, said latching member extending longitudinally of one of saidmeans and having its other end adapted to be resiliently transverselydisplaceable from its normal position and including means adapted tocooperate with further means for transversely displacing and engagingsaid other end;

((1) further means stationarily positioned on the other of said means,said further means being adapted;

' (l) to cooperatively engage said other end of said latching memberupon movement of said push button means from said first to said secmeansfrom said second position towards said first position;

(3) to allow said latching member to return to its normal position uponsubsequent movement to said second position from said intermediateposition; and

(4) to allow said actuator means to return to said first position uponsubsequent movement from said second position to said first position;and

(e) switching means stationarily mounted on said housing whereby saidswitching means is operatively engaged by said actuator means when saidactuator means is in said second and said intermediate positions.

3. Alternate action apparatus comprising in corn-bination;

(a) housing and actuator members, said housing member beinglongitudinally elongated and said actuator member being reciprocablyjournaled therein; (b) longitudinally elongated latching means, saidmeans having one end stationarily mounted on one of said members andextending longitudinally thereof and the other end including a laterallydisposed portion, said latching means being comprised of materialexhibiting resilience characteristics;

(c) ramp means and first and second stop means stationarily mounted onthe other of said members, and adapted to successively engage thelaterally disposed portion on'the other end of said latching means sothat upon successive relative reciprocating motion of said members, thelaterally disposed portion on the other end of said latching means is;

(1) transversely displaced by said ramp means;

(2) is retained in a transversely displaced position by said first stopmeans;

(3) is retained in transversely displacedengagement with said secondstop means; and

(4) returned to a position of no transverse displacement and ((1) meansstationarily mounted on said housing and being responsive to therelative positions of said housing and said actuator to provide anoutput in dicative of said positions.

4. In an electrical switch, alternate action apparatus for controllingthe relative positions of a pair of reciprocating members comprising incombination;

(a) first and second members;

(b) means mounting said first and second members for restricted relativereciprocating motion therebetween;

(c) biasing means tending to maintain said members in a first positionand operative to allow relative reciprocating motion to a secondposition;

(d) a resilient member extending inthe direction of relative movement ofsaid first and second members, said resilient member having a lateral-1yextending cam engaging portion at one end and being mounted on saidfirst member at its other end; and

(e) cam means stationarily mountedon said second member, said cam meansincluding means engageable by the laterally extending portion of saidresilient member to transversely displace said resilient 5 member in aplane other than the plane of the laterally extending .cam engagingportion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the cam means includes atransversely extending surface for engaging and transversely displacingthe cam engaging portion, a first stop member for retaining the camengaging portion in a transversely displaced position, and a second stopmember for releasably retaining the first and second members in apredetermined position intermediate said first and second positions.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 in which at least one switch meansresponsive to the relative position of the first and second members isstationarily mounted on one of the members.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the latching means is disposed onthe actuator member and the ramp means and first and second stop meansare stationarily mounted on the housing member.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which biasing means are disposedintermediate the housing and the actuator members.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the latching member is disposed onthe actuator means and the further means are disposed on the housingmeans.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which biasing means are disposedintermediate the housing means and the actuator means totend to maintainthe actuator means in a first position with respect to said housingmeans and the further means stationarily positioned on the housingmeans. 35 11. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the latching memher isdisposed on the actuator member and the camming means are disposed onthe housing member.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which biasing means are disposedintermediate the housing member and the w actuator member.

3,047,698 7/1962 Walker 20c 153 3,153,714 10/1964 Bury 200-153 ROBERTS.- MACON, Acting Primary Examiner.

KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Examiner.

H. O. JONES, Assistant Examiner.

4. IN AN ELECTRICAL SWITCH, ALTERNATE ACTION APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLINGTHE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF A PAIR OF RECIPROCATING MEMBERS COMPRISING INCOMBINATION; (A) FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS; (B) MEANS MOUNTING SAID FIRSTAND SECOND MEMBERS FOR RESTRICTED RELATIVE RECIPROCATING MOTIONTHEREBETWEEN; (C) BIASING MEANS TENDING TO MAINTAIN SAID MEMBERS IN AFIRST POSITION AND OPERATIVE TO ALLOW RELATIVE RECIPROCATING MOTION TO ASECOND POSITION; (D) A RESILIENT MEMBER EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OFRELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS, SAID RESILIENTMEMBER HAVING A LATERALLY EXTENDING CAM ENGAGING PORTION AT ONE END ANDBEING MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST MEMBER AT ITS OTHER END; AND (E) CAM MEANSSTATIONARILY MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND MEMBER, SAID CAM MEANS INCLUDINGMEANS ENGAGEABLE BY THE LATERALLY EXTENDING PORTION OF SAID RESILIENTMEMBER TO TRANSVERSELY DISPLACE SAID RESILIENT MEMBER IN A PLANE OTHERTHAN THE PLANE OF THE LATERALLY EXTENDING CAM ENGAGING PORTION.